Vending machine



Nov. 28, 1950 Filed Feb. 3, 1947 H. J. BURASCO 2,532,084

VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i t Iii-m- INVENTOR. fle/yg/ J. fia/waco BY [L ATTORNE Nov. 28, 1950 H. .1. BURASCO 2,532,084

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VE N TOR. flan/y 541/4560 BNEir Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Henry J. Burasco, Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 3, 1947, Serial No. 726,011

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically dispensing an article of merchandise upon receipt thereinto of a coin or the like and actuation by the operator thereof of a slidable plunger extending to the exterior of such merchandise.

The most important object of this invention is to provide a vending machine for tablet or disclike articles of merchandise having an open bottom receptacle for the articles, an outlet chute therefor and a pair of manually manipulable elements interposed between the receptacle and the outlet chute and connectable by a coin or the like inserted into the machine for controlling the vending of one of said articles into the outlet chute.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a vending machine having a slidable gate provided with a restricted opening for receiving one of the articles to be vended when the gate is at one end of its path of travel and delivering the same into the discharge chute when the gate is moved to the opposite end of its ath of travel.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a vending machine having the aforesaid slidable gate or ejector gate as a part thereof, a plate underlying the receptacle for the articles to be dispensed, which plate not only serves as a sliding support for said gate but aids in maintaining an article, received by the gate, in position while the gate is being actuated and until the same is moved into a position for releasing such article.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vending machine having means for preventing a single article of merchandise from being dispensed until the coin, which serves to render the machine operable, falls into a coin box.

Many minor objects of this invention will be made clear or become apparent during the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a vending machine made present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof, parts being broken away for clearance.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 4.

- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view in accordance with my 2 taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 5, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed perspective View of a portion of the article container and underlying plate, the slidable elements being entirely removed.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the ejector gate per se and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the manually manipulable plunger showing the same entirely removed from association with the vending machine.

In the drawings the numeral I0 designates generally a case for housing all the operative mechanism forming a part of the vending machine about to be described. This case is constitutes a back wall 52 and a section I 4 having front and side walls as well as a top and a bottom as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. When section M is associated with back plate I2, the same presents a closed chamber, section Hi having a pair of hook members It for engagement with a pair of loops [8 mounted on the innermost face of a wall l2 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. This back wall i2 is also provided with a pair of laterally extending arms 21! having openings therethrough in register with aligned openings in the side walls of section 54, all to the end that the bolt 22 may be inserted into locked position. In other words bolt 22 passes through the openings in the side walls of section M. and through the openings in legs 20 whereupon a lock may be inserted in an aperture 24 formed in one end of bolt 22 extending through the case.

Back wall I2 has mounted thereon through the medium of a number of brackets 25 a cylindrical tube 28 which serves as a receptacle for the articles of merchandise is to be dispensed. This receptacle 253 is mounted in an upright position and has its ends open. The articles 38 are of any tablet character and in the instance shown constitute disc-like pellets or capsules. A fiat plate 32 extends laterally inwardly from wall E2 in underlying relation with receptacle '28 and slightly spaced therebelow. This plate 32 has a pair of overlapping tracks 34 along each longitudinal edge thereof for slidably receiving a gate 36. When this gate 36 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 6, a'portion thereof underlies the article 30 within receptacle 28 and holds the same from passing therefrom. Gate 36 has an opening 38 formed therein of substantially the same size as the size of the individual article 35 not only in thickness thereof but in diameter.

, per-most wall A projection 49 on gate overlaps a portion of the opening 38 and a slot 42 is provided in gate 36 near one end thereof opposite to extension 49, all for purposes hereinafter more fully described.

Plate 32 has an opening 44 formed therein adjacent to the wall I2 and in offset relation with respect to the receptacle 28. This opening 44 in plate 32 is in register with an outlet chute 45 which. chute 46 in turn communicates with the exterior of housing 18 as at 48. An elongated slot 59 is formed in plate 32 near the inner-most end thereof which slot terminates in a transverse slot 52 near the inner-most end thereof.

A coin receiving opening 554 formed in it e front wall of section I4 is in communication with a coin chute 56 mounted upon the inner-most face of this front wall of section it. Coin chute 56 is sectional and the lowermost end 58 thereof is in register with a coin box 58.

A: plunger assembly, broadly designated by the numeral 62 and shown-indetafl in Fig. 9, has a pair of spaced apart tracks slidable upon the outer-most faces of tracks 34 formed on plate 32; A bottom wall of plunger assembly 62 underlies plate 32 when the same is in operative position and a flange 68 depending from an upthereof. engages with the gate 3H when plunger assembly 62 is manually actuated. Knob 12' extends outwardly through an opening 4- formed in the normally front face of section M to a position where the same is accessible; to the operator. A short chute 16' extends upwardly from wall "it, plunger 32 and this chute ES is in register with a slot E3 formed in thebottom wall 66 thereof.

A spring 86 clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 joins plunger 62 andchute 16' to yieldably maintain plunger and gate 38 near the inner most ends of their respective paths of travel.

A leaf spring iizmounted'upon the inner-most face of back: plate 52 has the inner-most free end thereof normally in overlying relation with opening-44in plate 32 and in the path of travel of gate This leaf spring 82 has a flange portion 33 formed on its inner-most end in overlying relation with gate a portion of opening- 33 when this gate 36 is near the inner-most end of its path of travel. Assuming the component parts of the vending machine just described to be formed and assembled as set forth, the operation thereof is as follows:

A suitable coin 34 is inserted in slot 5 3. where the same passes downwardly through chute 58 and into the short chute it of plunger assembly 62. Springs and 82 serve to hold plunger 62 in a position where chute '55 underlies the coin chute 55 and where slot 52 of gate 33 is directly beneath chute it. (Join 32 therefore is free to fall downwardly through slot 42 of gate 38 and through opening i3 in bottom wall 68 or plunger assembly 52. This coin 84 then rests upon plate 32, spanning the distance across slot 55] within this plate 32.

The next step to be performed by the operator is to grasp knob 72 and pull the same outwardly. This action causes the gate 38 to also slide outwardly because of the connection made between assembly E32 and gate 35 by coin 32. This outward motion is limited by coin 84 striking the outermost end of slot 53 and when in such position gate 35 has its opening 33 in underlying relation with articles of merchandise 38. One of these articles 30 will then be free to fall by the action of" gravity into opening 38 of gate 36 Where the same rests upon plate 32 between the slot 50 and opening 44 thereof. One edge of the article 30 will also be resting upon the extension 40 which covers a portion of opening 38. The operator then pushes knob 12 inwardly which causes gate 36 to move toward a position where slot 42 thereof and opening 18 of assembly 82 are in register with transverse slot 52 of plate 32. Coin 84 is then free to fall through slot 52, into section 58 of coin chute 56 and thence into coin box 60. Such inward movement of gate 35 will prevent additional articles of merchandise 3!] from falling out of receptacle 38.

As-gate 38 approaches the inner-most end of its path of travel and prior to movement of coin 84 into box 60, the same will come into engagement with leaf spring 82 and flange 83 thereof will overlie the article 30 and hold the same against projection 48. As gate 36 is caused to be moved further toward the inner-most end of its path of travel and after coin 84has fallen, one track of plunger assembly 62 will strike this leaf spring 82as' illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 causthe to be moved flatly against back Wall 12. This action moves flange 83 of spring 82 out of engagement with the article 30; and, since at this point in the operationopening 33cf'gate 36 is in register with opening 44 of plate 32', the article 3!! will be free to tip on extension 49 and fall downwardly into outlet chute 46 where the same is accessible to the'purchaser thereof at'48. Release of the knob 12 by the operator will permit spring 82 to move gate 38 and plunger 62 to a position for further use.

While only one embodiment of my invention has been disclosed and described, it is understood that many modifications' thereof may be made, particularly in details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit thereof or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Let ters Patent, is:

1. In a vending machine of the character described, an open bottom receptacle for the articles to be vended; an open top outlet chute underlying said receptacle in offset relationship thereto; a perforated ejector gate mounted for sliding movement between the receptacle and the outlet chute in transverse relation to the axes of the open bottom and open top of the receptacle and chute respectively; means for yieldably maintaining said gate in a normal position for holding all of said articles in said receptacle, said perforation in the gate being adaptable to receive one of the articleswhen the gate is moved from said normal position to one end of its path of travel; and structure for holding the article in said perforation as the gate is moved toward the opposite end of its path of travel to a position where the one article is free to fall by gravity into said outlet chute, said-structure comprising a plate underlying the gate and a projection on the gate overlapping a portion of the perforation therein.

2. In a vending machine of the character described, an open bottom receptacle for the articles to be vended; an open top outlet chute underlying said receptacle in offset relationship thereto; a perforated ejector gate mounted for sliding movement between the receptacle and the outlet chute in transverse relation to'the axes of the open bottom and open top of the receptacle and chute respectively; means for-yieldably maintaining said gate-in a normal position for holding all of said articles in said receptacle, said perforation in the gate being adaptable to receive one of the articles when the gate is moved from said normal position to one end of its path of travel; structure for holding the article in said perforation as the gate is moved toward the opposite end of its path of travel to a position where the one article is free to fall by gravity into said outlet chute; and releasable means cooperable with said structure as the gate approaches said opposite end of its path of travel for holding the one article against falling into the outlet chute until the gate reaches said opposite end of its path of travel, said structure comprising a plate underlying the gate and a projection on the gate overlapping a portion of the perforation therein, said releasable means comprising a swingable member disposed to overlie the article adjacent said projection as the gate is moved theretowards.

3. In a vending machine of the character described, an open bottom receptacle for the articles to be vended; an open top outlet chute underlying said receptacle in ofiset relationship thereto; a perforated ejector gate mounted for sliding movement between the receptacle and the outlet chute in transverse relation to the axes of the open bottom and open top of the receptacle and chute respectively; means for yieldably maintaining said gate in a normal position for holding all of said articles in said receptacle, said perforation in the gate being adaptable to receive one of the articles when the gate is moved from said normal position to one end of its path of travel; structure for holding the article in said perforation as the gate is moved toward the opposite end of its path of travel to a position where the one article is free to fall by gravity into said outlet chute; and releasable means cooperable with said structure as the gate approaches said opposite end of its path of travel for holding the one article against falling into the outlet chute until the gate reaches said opposite end of its path of travel, said structure comprising a plate underlying the gate and a projection on the gate overlapping a portion of the perforation therein, said releasable means comprising a swingable member disposed to overlie the article adjacent said projection as the gate is moved theretowards, said member being swingable by the gate out of overlying relationship with the article as the gate approaches said opposite end of its path of travel.

HENRY J. BURASCO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,449,864 Lillis Mar. 27, 1923 1,541,622 Chandler June 9, 1925 1,843,233 Kaiser Feb. 2, 1932 

